Jack Corn Appalachian photographer

[x-ray]

Relaxing on a quiet Sunday afternoon I started thinking about my career and the wonderful people along the way that helped me get where I am. One that comes to mind first is Jack Corn who was the chief photographer of the Tennessean in Nashville. Jack discovered my work when I was a student at the University of Tennessee working on the newspaper. Jack encouraged me to pursue photography and provided guidance along the way for which I will always be grateful.

I always admired the work Jack did and the sensitivity with which he executed his images and the respect for his subjects. A couple of years ago I decided to see if I could find Jack and tell him how my career had gone and what an influence he had on it. I found him and his wife living in retirement just south of Nashville. It was wonderful to talk with him again after fortyfive years and tell him my story.

Anyway I googled Jack's name and came up with a couple of links. Jack did documentary / news photography in the Appalachian coal mining areas. He lived with his subjects and photographed them in daily life. After the Tennessean Jack became the Photo Director of the Chicago Tribune and then established the Photo Journalism program at Western Kentucky University.

I thought I'd share a couple of links to his excellent work.

http://jackcornphotography.photodeck.com/-/galleries/appalacia

http://jackcornphotography.photodeck.com/-/galleries/american-south

https://www.facebook.com/Jack-Corn-245760532166880/

Hope you enjoy.

 

[charjohncarter]

I never heard of Jack, but you have to say thank you to people like him. These ways of life a going, going soon to be gone. Without the Jack's they would be forgotten.

We had an area like this in Oregon which really wasn't very far from a normal small city. When I went there I couldn't believe it existed.

 

[Shac]

Don - thanks for these links - wonderful images

 

[x-ray]

Jack got a lot of attention in the day. He disappeared from the spotlight when he left the Tennessean and went to the Ttibune to be photo director. I don't think he did any shooting at that time.

I always felt he had the same style as W Eugene Smith.

When I talked to him a couple of years ago he and his wife were raising wildowers and he was still active in exhibiting his work.

 

[Tim Murphy]

It's not much different from the stories I've heard

It's not much different from the stories I've heard

Dear x-ray,

Thank you for posting these links.

I was born and lived until I was about 4 in a small coal mining town in NE Pennsylvania. My Mom and Dad figured there was a better life down the road outside of Philadelphia so we moved. My maternal Grandfather was a coal miner who died when I was about 6 years old from black lung disease.

These pictures show me that no matter if you were from Tennessee, Kentucky, WVA, or PA the life was pretty much the same in a coal country town.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA

 

[Bill Clark]

It's wonderful you found a coach and mentor at a young age.

To me, this is one of the most important, perhaps the most important ingredient leading to a successful career.

 

[x-ray]

Dear x-ray,

Thank you for posting these links.

I was born and lived until I was about 4 in a small coal mining town in NE Pennsylvania. My Mom and Dad figured there was a better life down the road outside of Philadelphia so we moved. My maternal Grandfather was a coal miner who died when I was about 6 years old from black lung disease.

These pictures show me that no matter if you were from Tennessee, Kentucky, WVA, or PA the life was pretty much the same in a coal country town.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA

I originally came from a small coal and oil town in Southern Illinois. People were poor there including us. For a couple of years we lived in a chicken coop my grandfather fixed up for us. It had a potbelly stove and outhouse behind it. My father had come back from the war but had no money but had the dedication to get an education. We moved to Oak Ridge Tn where he worked as a mechanical engineer for the atomic energy commission, at that time. I guess having grown up in that environment gives me a connection to how they feel and what they go through.

I had a coal company as a client until a few years ago when over-regulation put them out of business. It was extremely sad to see towns around this area die. Coal mining was replaced by meth and oxycodone (hillbilly heroin).

One of the only things these folks have to hang onto is their faith. Fortunately it looks like some of the jobs may come back. The residents of what's left of these communities have a renewed hope that once again they'll have jobs. There's a great deal of pride in these people. They want to work and don't want a handout.